After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH14

Chapter 14

According to Sun Hongfei’s knowledge, Wen Yue came to Dunhai City today because of an issue with a new project in the Yihai District. Wen Yue was here specifically to address this issue and to check in on the progress of [Boy Group Training Camp].

However, Wen Yue was called away by a sudden phone call midway through his visit. It wasn’t until an hour later that his assistant, Tang Ling, informed Sun Hongfei and others to meet at the Yihai Garden Resort Hotel.

This hotel was also part of the Wen family’s assets, though it had originally been under the management of Wen Yue’s second uncle. But three months ago, this hotel, along with the new project in the Yihai District, had come under Wen Yue’s control.

Tang Ling informed Sun Hongfei that Wen Yue had a tight schedule and a flight back to Beijing at 9 p.m., which meant they only had one hour to give their report.

Sun Hongfei was instantly panicked.

They had originally prepared a two-hour presentation, and now half of it had to be cut down. But what exactly should be cut?!

Just then, he saw Guo Xingshi descending from the exclusive top-floor elevator, his shirt wrinkled and an expression of deep satisfaction on his face.

Sun Hongfei immediately understood!

The only person who could call Wen Yue away with a single phone call must be his little lover, Mr. Guo!

Thinking of this, he discreetly asked Tang Ling, “Assistant Tang, is Wen Yue here to meet someone specific?”

Tang Ling frowned.

Wen Yue had strictly ordered that the incident with Shen Yu’s stalker was not to be disclosed. It seemed Sun Hongfei might have caught wind of something.

With a cold warning, he replied, “Supervisor Sun, it’s best not to ask things you shouldn’t.”

Sun Hongfei was momentarily stunned.

He couldn’t help but think to himself, Why are you two acting like some kind of celebrity couple, keeping it all hidden?

But outwardly, he wisely kept his mouth shut and said to Tang Ling in a flattering tone, “Don’t worry, Mr. Tang—I won’t breathe a word of this!”

However, as for what to cut from the report and what to keep, he already had a good idea.

Sun Hongfei followed Tang Ling to the top floor, to Wen Yue’s exclusive presidential suite.

Wen Yue was standing by the window on the phone. Even from behind, his presence made Sun Hongfei feel pressured.

After a moment, Wen Yue hung up, took a seat at the desk, began reviewing the documents Tang Ling handed him, and gestured for Sun Hongfei to proceed.

Sun Hongfei immediately started his report on [Boy Group Training Camp]’s recent developments.

He started with the basic information. Wen Yue showed no reaction, only occasionally interrupting with key questions.

Sun Hongfei hadn’t expected that Wen Yue, while multitasking, could remember so much, and he didn’t dare slack off for a second.

After a good half-hour, he finished this part of the report, and Wen Yue had finished going through the documents.

Wen Yue stood up, and Tang Ling handed him his coat.

As he put it on and began walking out, Wen Yue said, “Continue.”

Sun Hongfei quickly followed and, without hesitation, moved on to the next topic. “Recently, Jinyou Entertainment sent six trainees to compete, but based on last season, Jinyou’s trainees tend to form cliques, and once they debut, they seem more loyal to their original company than to the temporary group. I was concerned, so I removed two of them and replaced them with two trainees from a newer company.”

He paused before adding, “The new company is called LeShi Entertainment, and the owner and manager is Guo Xingshi.”

Wen Yue felt a moment of familiarity at the mention of LeShi, but he dismissed it, saying, “You made a good decision.”

Just as he had hoped—praise!

Sun Hongfei breathed a sigh of relief.

Got it right!

But Wen Yue’s restraint was impressive. He didn’t even bat an eye at the mention of his little lover’s name.

Of course, Wen Yue didn’t want anyone to know about his relationship with Guo Xiangshi, and as a loyal subordinate, Sun Hongfei would be smart enough to keep this to himself.

By then, they had already reached the elevator.

The driver opened the car door, and Wen Yue stepped in.

Bending over, Sun Hongfei asked with a hint of suggestion, “Is there anything else you’d like me to take care of, Mr. Wen?”

Wen Yue: “?”

Surprised, he looked at the unremarkable middle-aged man before him.

In truth, with his imposing aura, most subordinates reacted to him like a cat seeing a mouse, barely daring to speak. This was the first time he had encountered someone as bold as Sun Hongfei.

He decided to be encouraging. “You’re doing well. In competitions like these, fairness is paramount.”

With that, the car drove off, leaving a bewildered Sun Hongfei in its wake.

*

Back in his office, Sun Hongfei couldn’t stop thinking. He finally called in his trusted aide, Xiao Li, for analysis.

Xiao Li frowned and hesitantly said, “Could Mr. Wen have just been genuinely complimenting you?”

“No way!” Sun Hongfei immediately rejected the idea.

He advised Xiao Li wisely, “I’ve always told you, never take a leader’s words at face value. You have to dig deeper!”

Xiao Li: “Uh…”

Sun Hongfei continued, “Here’s a tip. Look for a transition word; the main point usually comes right after. If there’s no transition word, consider the overall context. In this case, Mr. Wen’s focus was his final sentence…”

Xiao Li: “…”

Repressed memories coming back to haunt me!

Sun Hongfei chewed over Wen Yue’s words. His original question had been whether he should give Guo Xiangshi special treatment. Wen Yue had replied that fairness was most important. Was he implying that Sun Hongfei shouldn’t offer any special treatment?

It didn’t feel quite right.

Just then, Xiao Li suddenly said, “Supervisor, I get it now!”

“Hm?” Sun Hongfei looked up. “What did you get?”

Xiao Li confidently replied, “Considering Mr. Wen’s deep affection for Mr. Guo and his desire to keep it private, emphasizing fairness was probably a hint that there’s some unfairness on the show—that someone’s giving Mr. Guo a hard time. Mr. Wen can’t intervene directly, so he’s subtly hinting for you to do so!”

Sun Hongfei felt enlightened.

Exactly!

It all made sense now!

Mr. Wen had received Mr. Guo’s call and rushed back to see him. Mr. Guo may have complained a little but wouldn’t let Wen Yue interfere directly. Out of care for his lover, Wen Yue found a roundabout way to address it through him.

Flawless logic!

But then he watched the show’s first episode.

Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin only appeared for three minutes in total. There was a two-and-a-half-minute clip of the show itself, followed by a half-minute introduction, and barely any commentary from the mentors.

No extra scenes, no discussions—nothing.

If this went out, the audience would have a weaker impression of Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin, slightly lowering their evaluations. That initial perception, however minor, would become crucial over time, even affecting the trainees’ ultimate fate.

If he didn’t see this as a red flag, he’d wasted his years in the industry.

He was instantly horrified.

What a mess!

If you don’t respond to the leader’s toast or follow his cue, it’ll hurt your career!

He promptly sought out Guo Xingshi, and after a heartfelt apology, said firmly, “Mr. Guo, I’m a man of fairness. Who would’ve thought some lowlife would pull a stunt like this? But don’t worry—I’ll make sure you get an answer!”

After watching the first episode, Gu Xingzhi finally saw through Jiang Mo’s malicious intentions.

He was furious.

That jerk!

No wonder Jiang Mo had been lying low recently—he’d been quietly planning all of this!

But could the program really be as fair as Sun Hongfei claimed?

Gu Xiangshi was skeptical.

“You’re too kind, Supervisor Sun. So, what are your next steps?”

Sun Hongfei became even more deferential. “Our original plan was to switch the second half of the season to live broadcasts. But given the circumstances, we’re considering moving up the live broadcasts to the next episode and bringing in a professional panel of judges…”

The more Gu Xingzhi listened, the brighter his eyes became.

No wonder [Boy Group Training Camp] had become the number-one talent show in the industry!

This approach would minimize all unfair factors.

He had complete confidence in Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s abilities. As long as fairness was assured, they’d do well!

Still, he couldn’t let this go without payback.

Thinking of the evidence he had gathered, he leaned over and whispered a plan to Sun Hongfei.

Sun Hongfei considered it and said, “That wouldn’t disrupt the show’s flow or fairness. Alright, we’ll add that segment as you suggested.”

Meanwhile, the first episode had caused an uproar online.

Thanks to the livestream segment, Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s popularity had soared. They went from ranking near the bottom to taking the top two spots, with a huge lead over the third-place contestant, Jinyou Entertainment’s Yu Pingjia.

However, after the episode aired, viewers were surprised to see Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin assigned to Class B, while Yu Pingjia was placed directly in Class A.

Yu Pingjia’s fans became smug, hinting that Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin only ranked high due to gimmicks and that real success in the show depended on skill.

Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s fans were not happy with this.

For instance, Qiao Ruoyao, who was initially drawn to their looks, had become a die-hard fan after seeing them sing and dance for two hours in the livestream.

Their talent was undeniable!

Though she’d been disappointed to see Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin only make it to Class B, out of respect for the mentors, she had held her tongue. But Yu Pingjia’s fans’ comments pushed her to the breaking point.

Fine, if it’s about skill, then bring it on!

Her favorites had nothing to fear from a talent showdown.

Soon, comparison videos between Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin, and Yu Pingjia appeared online.

Yu Pingjia’s solo performance looked fine, but placed side-by-side with Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin, the gap became obvious.

And that was just a clip from the show. If it were live, the difference would be even more dramatic.

Even casual viewers could see the disparity.

Many began to question why Yu Pingjia had made it to Class A over Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin.

Around the same time, rumors surfaced that Meng Yuansheng had previously worked as Jiang Mo’s assistant but quit in frustration over Jiang Mo’s refusal to pay him or provide benefits. He’d left to join LeShi instead.

The news resonated with people everywhere.

[Worker solidarity! This makes my blood boil!]

[So he’s trying to suppress Meng Yuansheng because he’s afraid his own misdeeds will come to light? What a jerk!]

[Even if Meng Yuansheng was just an assistant, wasn’t it Jinyou Entertainment’s job to pay him? What does this have to do with Jiang Mo?]

[Whatever. Neither of these two is a good person!]

*

All of a sudden, Jiang Mo and Jinyou Entertainment’s previous negative information was brought up again, causing their reputations to plummet.